be no mock heroics, the fact stands out in the narrative, that in times of emergency the man of faith is often the most

practical. Perhaps Paul had learned the secret which is beautifully expressed in these lines of a modern hymn,

`A heart at leisure from itself,

To soothe and sympathise'.

At any rate we read that it was Paul who gathered a bundle of sticks to help on the fire kindled by the hospitable

islanders. Incidentally the word phruganon, `sticks', is defined by Theophrastus as `furze roots', which disposes of

an objection which has been raised that `timber' would not have been available at St. Paul's Bay. This kindly

activity caused an incident which is of extreme importance in its bearing upon the dispensational position of the

Acts of the Apostles. Awakened by the heat, a viper fastened on Paul's hand. We may well regard this as a

malignant attack of the Evil One upon the servant of the Lord, but there is another angle from which it must be

considered. That the bite of a viper was fatal was testified by the remarks and attitude of the inhabitants:

`They said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet

vengeance suffereth not to live ... they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly'

(Acts 28:4-6).

The word `vengeance' is dike, the equivalent of the Latin `justitia', an abstract personification, like `nemesis'.

The words `swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly', give a clear indication of the normal consequences of an attack

such as Paul had sustained, and in his escape we have therefore a miracle of the highest rank, and that wrought at the

close of the period covered by the Acts of the Apostles. Observe also the effect of a miracle upon a people untaught

by Scripture. At first they assumed that Paul must be a murderer, but, on observing his exemption from the normal

consequences of his wound, they changed their mind and concluded that he must be a god. Similarly, when a

miracle was wrought in the presence of other untaught heathen, we find them saying, `The gods are come down to

us in the likeness of men' (Acts 14:11).

From this we learn the important lesson that although miracles, when performed before a people enlightened by

the Scriptures, constituted a confirmation of truth and evidence that was calculated to bring about repentance and

faith (Matt. 11:1-6,20; Heb. 2:3,4), their performance in the presence of untaught people might but deepen their

idolatry and superstition.

At the end of Mark's Gospel we read these words:

`These signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new

tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay

hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into

heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working

with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen (Mark 16:17-20).

The fact that a viper, of all noxious creatures, should figure in these closing miracles of the Acts is of itself

suggestive. Genesis 3 introduces the Serpent, with his enmity, and Revelation 20 sees his doom. When Moses

received the call to leadership, he was given power over a serpent. Thus, also, at the close of the kingdom

testimony, Paul picks up the creature which is the symbol of Satan and throws it into the fire, himself remaining

unhurt. The `falling down suddenly' which the islanders expected is a symptom of snake bite confirmed by the

ancient writer Lucian, and Shakespeare, with his embracive knowledge, says of Charmian, in Antony and Cleopatra,

`Tremblingly she stood, and on the sudden dropped' (Ant. and Cleop. Act 5, Scene 2).

Those of our readers who hold that the last twelve verses of Mark 16 do not form a part of inspired Scripture will

probably feel that this passage should not be employed; but were we to respect every one's particular textual

objection, it would be necessary to set aside a considerable number of important passages. The reader who has any

doubt concerning Mark 16 should consult Appendix 168 of The Companion Bible: the evidence of the Manuscript

Versions and `The Fathers' there tabulated should be enough to convince any that the verses in question should be

retained as found in the A.V. Mark ends on the note, `the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with

signs following'. The Acts opens with a reference to `all that Jesus began both to do and to teach', and implies that

the Acts is a continuation of this `doing', and `teaching', so that we are prepared to find the promise of Mark 16